Dog Days
by NixAdamantium
Summary: My personal take on the aftermath of the Willow Incident - why Sirius told Snape, and how James, Remus, and Peter sherlocked the truth and came to forgive him. Otherwise known as "the time Peter was right". The rating is due to heavier themes and a disagreement between Sirius and three Slytherins. Nothing too graphic though, methinks.
1. Chapter 1

Hey there!

I'm back, this time with a slightly longer story (I think it will last about three chapters). It's just my personal take on the aftermath of the Willow Incident during the Marauders' fifth year at Hogwarts - I hope you will enjoy reading it. As always, I've read it until my eyes started bleeding, but I just know so many more mistakes will pop up as soon as I post it ^^" Peter is surprisingly difficult to write without making a fool of him or describing him downright unpleasantly. I hope I managed to keep my dislike of him in check.

**Warning:** Sirius is no ball of sunshine in this one, and bad things do happen.

**Disclaimer:** of course I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters and events. If I did, Tom would have been eaten by Aragog that night.

* * *

_"_I _can't believe you did that!"_.

Neither could he.

_"__What the hell were you thinking?!"._

He hadn't been.

_"__You could have gotten him killed!"._

That had been the plan.

_"__You betrayed us!"_.

That… That Hadn't.

Sirius' steps faltered.

He had betrayed the Marauders.

He had almost gotten Remus to kill someone – the thing his friend feared the most other than biting some innocent bystander.

He felt horrible. Scratch that, _he_ _was_ horrible.

The knowledge that he had acted out of sheer hate and anger did nothing to make him any feel better, partly because it was no excuse anyway, and partly because he couldn't explain it to his (former) best friends. At least he had managed to keep his mouth shut about what had possessed him to tell Snivellus how to get past the Willow. At least he had kept Regulus safe. Well… as safe as his idiotic little brother would ever be, now that his delusions of grandeur would lead him to join the _cult_ of Voldemort. _He's going to get himself killed_, Sirius though grimly.

He stopped a moment, tensing, straining his ears. No sounds made by another sentient being met his sensitive eardrums and, relieved, he resumed his brisk walk. He knew he shouldn't have been up and about, seeing as it was almost one in the morning, but the stars were out in full force that night, the star Sirius owed his name to shining like a midnight Sun. He hadn't been able to resist, so he had scurried to the astronomy tower and laid there for a couple of hours, with a bottle of Butterbeer as his companion. Not his usual Firewiskey, that would come later, when he retreated in the safety of the Room of Requirements, in which he currently resided. Right now even _he_ knew how thin was the ice he was treading on, and that he couldn't afford to get caught because he was too tipsy to be quiet.

To go back to his current… Problem… He hadn't explained his behavior to his (former) mates. He had simply said he had been bored and irritated, and that Snivellus deserved it and even worse. As a result, neither James nor Remus were even looking in his general direction anymore. Peter did when he thought the other two couldn't see him (_yeah, right_), and for that Sirius was both grateful and annoyed – it showed that he still cared, but made him feel pitiful, and Sirius didn't do pitiful. It had been two weeks after that fateful night, two weeks since he had been reproached by a very disappointed Dumbledore, two weeks since he had last slept with the Marauders or had been less than five feet from them. The rest of the House – the rest of the school, really – seemed shocked by the rift born between them, but if Sirius could deal with the questioning and somewhat fearful stares of his fellow Gryffindors, the smugness on Snivellus' face made him seethe with rage. Still, he couldn't do anything, lest getting kicked out from Hogwarts. And he _loved_ Hogwarts. For all his mischief, for all his _not_ studying… The school gave him a sense of peace, a sense of _belonging_ he had only felt in another place… At James' house.

At the mere thought of Godric's Hollow, his stomach dropped. There was no way James would allow him to stay there, not after what happened, no matter how much Sirius hated the mere idea of being forced to spend the _whole_ summer at Grimmauld Place. And being underage he couldn't just go and stay by himself… What was he to do now? Maybe he could ask Dumbledore to let him stay at the school? He could promise not to cause trouble, not to break in the professors' offices, to _behave_… No, the Headmaster wouldn't allow it. Sirius was too unpredictable, too unreliable. He'd tell him he was just reaping what he had sown and would send him straight into Walburga and Orion's arms.

Sirius shuddered.

No, he'd rather die. He'd rather _kill himself_ than staying at the mercy of… _Those people_ for so long. He couldn't. He wouldn't. Maybe he could pretend to go and then come back secretly? Or maybe he could transform into Padfoot, find a nice family to stay with for the summer, not far from King's Cross, play as their pet for a while as he waited for the summer to end…

Lost in his schemes and machinations, he didn't notice the three figures waiting for him until it was too late to do anything but stop right in front of them.

Nott.

Snivellus.

_Regulus_.

Sirius watched them, wide-eyed, perfectly still, registering Nott's sly expression, Snivellus gleeful sneer, and Regulus blank face. They all had their wands out.

Oh, he was in _deep_ shit, alright.

Whatever they decided to do, he couldn't react – it was his word against that of Regulus, of a Head Boy, and of the boy he had tried to kill fourteen days prior. It wasn't difficult to imagine to who McGonnagal and Dumbledore would listen to. That, and if he made too much noise and attracted attention to himself when he wasn't supposed to be out of the Gryffindor tower in the first place, he would be expelled faster than he could say _bludger_.

"Well, well, well… What a pleasure, Black" drawled Nott.

Sirius didn't answer.

He almost yelled when a sudden curse hit him right in the stomach – he caught himself just in time not to. Instead, he fell to the floor with a barely concealed yelp.

"Use your manners, would you, Black?" whispered Nott, threateningly sweet.

"I was taught not to lie, Nott" spat Sirius, trying to get up, only to be thrown against the wall by another curse – only this time it was Snivellus doing.

"First you try to kill Severus, now you insult me?" asked the Slytherin Head Boy, his forehead creased in fake perplexity: "You are even more of a rabid dog than Regulus had me believe".

At those words, gray eyes so similar and yet so different from Sirius' shifted to the ground.

"Why don't you come here and let me bite you? Maybe you'll find exactly _how much_ of a rabid dog I am" growled Sirius. Another curse hit him right where the first impacted, doubling him over and gasping for breath, coughing out bile.

"Black…" sighed Nott.

And he would have probably said something else, but Sirius whipped his head up and, completely disregarding him, spoke directly with his younger brother, his now passionate stare burning with disgust, ire, desperation, and prayer.

"Are these the people you want to associate for the rest of your life with?!" he growled, his voice hoarse: "People who need to go two against a defenseless _one_?! Is this what you're going to do?! Cursing innocent people because of their _blood_?! Lick the shitty boots of that megalomaniac git who-!".

His rant was interrupted by a series of curses that hit him like a hailstorm – his face, his torso, his legs, and his back once he was sprawled on the floor. It didn't matter how much he curled up on himself, they reached _everywhere_ on his body, not an inch of his skin was safe.

Finally, what seemed to be an eternity of pain and suffocated whimpers later – _quiet, I must be quiet, can't let anyone see me out here_ – the curses stopped. He remained there, unmoving save for the heavy panting. The taste of blood was heavy in his mouth, and he could feel some sort of warm, viscous liquid on his shirt. Did a curse cut him?

"Let's go, before anyone sees us".

Those words, that voice, grounded him suddenly.

"Reg…!" he exhaled, trying to pull himself up, not paying any mind to the copious trail of blood that slowly trickled on his chin from inside his mouth – that wasn't important, _this_ was important, it was his last chance to save his brother, to talk him out of his stupid delusions and make him come back: "Reg, you can't…! P-please…! Come back, Reg…! Reg!".

His brother didn't even turn.

Nor did Nott.

Snivellus oh, _he_ turned, a disgusting triumph lighting up the depth of his dark stare.

And that triumph more than anything was what did it for Sirius – the three Slytherins had just rounded the corner when he laid his bruised forehead on the cold stones, eyes wide open and oddly burning.

Sirius had lost – he had lost _everything_.

His blood brother.

His adoptive brothers, and any kind of positive familiar figure he had ever had.

He was alone.

He was worthless.

A wretch, just as his mother always said.

Sirius didn't know how much time he spent there on the ground, but the distant echo of steps brought him back to reality – a reality that had never seemed bleaker.

He slowly managed to climb upright, using the wall on his left for support. The curses had done a number on him – he could feel the bruises on his face, torso, and back, and there was a large, deep gash that ran from his left shoulder almost to his right hips. Would it scar?

_Who cares_?

As he started to walk again, he realized that a couple of his ribs must have been broken – the quantity of blood that kept leaking slowly on his chin made a lot more sense now, as well as the difficulty he had in breathing. Punctured lung, possibly. His right knee kept buckling under his weight, and the enormous bruise he could feel on the shin of the same leg didn't really help his predicament.

He needed to go to the infirmary. Sirius was pretty good with healing charms (he had to be, with parents like his), but a punctured lung was risky – a misjudgment and he would end up with a rib permanently stuck in there. So, infirmary it was, hoping Poppy to be in a charitable enough mood to help him without ratting him out to McGonnagal come morning.

He was perfectly aware to be limping towards the steps he kept hearing but, as long as it wasn't Peeves or Nott, Snivellus and Regulus again, Sirius was pretty sure he could manage what was to come.

Or, so he thought until he rounded the corner.

Two pair of green eyes – but in different shades – were watching him, surprised and weary.

That Remus noticed him was probably even lucky. Or unlucky, seeing that he had no reason to look the other way and not punish him now that they were not friends anymore.

But right now that didn't seem to matter somehow since both _he_ and Lily were staring at his battered figure, horror plain on their faces.

Sirius quickly shut his mouth to keep the blood in and ran the sleeve of his uniform on his chin, trying to clean it of blood but ending up with smearing it even more on his pale skin.

"Sirius, what the hell…?!" gasped Remus, taking a step forward.

Sirius flinched.

No, please. Anything but that. He was neither mentally nor emotionally equipped to deal with _that tone_. He would break down again, and he couldn't, he wouldn't, he didn't have the right…

The world was looking pretty odd, he noticed suddenly. He could have _sworn_ it was in colors not but a few seconds ago, but now it was in shades of gray, which were heavier at the edge of his vision.

"I'm fine" he managed to cough out.

The dripping sound the blood from his mouth made when it hit the ground kind of contradicted him, and Sirius just stood there, swaying, staring reproachfully at the small puddle at his feet. It was _his_ blood. It shouldn't misbehave like that.

_His blood. His blood shouldn't misbehave. His blood. His _blood.

He shuddered, a sense of panic settling into him.

_He could feel Walburga breathing down his neck, cooling the skin to ice._

"Like hell you're fine, Sirius!" exclaimed Lily, taking a tentative step too.

He would have noticed the first time the red-haired Prefect called him by his first name had he not been too busy trying to run from the woman he felt taking shape in the shadows behind him.

"I… Just need Poppy…!" coughed Sirius, taking a couple of steps forward.

"Sirius…!".

_He could feel Orion's curse squeezing his lungs, he could feel Walburga's hands hitting his face, he could feel his belt, no, her parasol hitting his back repeatedly._

"Sirius!".

_He had to run, he had to hide, they would kill him!_

"SIRIUS!".

The world, which had gotten darker and darker and darker, suddenly stopped spinning.

_Would it be so bad, after all?_

There was no sound, no shape, no color, nothing.

_Ah, such a pity._

Under Lily's and Remus' terrified stare, without as much as a sigh, Sirius fainted.

* * *

He came to because of the light.

He stayed awake because of the voices.

"He said he was fine…!"

"… Was vomiting blood…!"

"… Has been…!"

"… Cursed, real curses…".

Sirius stifled a groan.

Merlin's beard, what had he done to the world that he couldn't catch a five minutes break?!

Oh, right.

He had betrayed his friends.

Serves him right, then.

"Lily! Remus!".

Sirius' gray eyes snapped open, and he couldn't prevent his muscles from coiling.

_Dumbledore was there_.

_There_ being, unsurprisingly enough, the infirmary. He was prone on a bed near the very end of the spacious room, surrounded by familiar thick curtains that granted him some privacy. His wounds had been treated, and by the fact that he could breathe normally again, he instantly knew his ribs had been set and his lungs mended. It was still dark – the light that had disturbed him came from the single torch someone had lit, not from the outside. Lily and Remus, bless their itsy bitsy hearts, must have brought him there right after he collapsed on them. Well, leaving a student to bleed to death on the floor was probably unbecoming of a Prefect, so…

"Did he tell you what happened?".

"No, Professor" whispered Lily, unusually unsteady: "He just said he needed to see Madame Pomfrey…".

"He made a couple of steps" added Remus, and it was easy for Sirius to clearly detect a not small amount of stress underneath his calm exterior: "Then he lost consciousness. I conjured a stretcher and we brought him here immediately. Madame Pomfrey has already treated his wounds and declared him out of danger".

"I see" replied Dumbledore, just as quick steps made by smallish feet approached them at a fast pace.

"It happened on the seventh floor".

_McGonnagal._

"There is a _pool of blood_ there, Albus, and signs of curses being used" she continued, her voice as cold as ice: "No defensive magic".

"This means that he either knew his attacker and didn't expect such treatment, or that he chose not to defend himself" concluded Dumbledore heavily.

"Professor…".

Sirius had never heard Remus hesitate so much.

"… Do you think that… That it could have been because…?".

"Most likely" answered Dumbledore drily: "The timing is certainly suspicious".

"What?" asked Lily, sounding confused: "You know who did this to him, Remus?".

"Er – not… Not exactly" was the tentative response: "I have someone in mind, but – I don't like throwing accusations around".

"The only one who can confirm our theory is Sirius himself" interjected Dumbledore: "Poppy, would it be too stressful for him to awake now?".

"It would be best to wait until morning" sniffed the nurse, who had been silent until then: "Surely if a student did this they won't flee into the night, right?".

"Yes, I suppose so" mused Dumbledore: "Very well then, we shall wait tomorrow".

Their voices started waning, and Sirius couldn't help but heave a very small sigh of relief. He wasn't ready to be questioned – in truth, he didn't want to be questioned at all. He didn't want to put Regulus in danger, to jeopardize his career at Hogwarts, not even after… His throat closed up painfully, and he hurried to think of something that wasn't his blood brother.

He would have to answer to Dumbledore, tomorrow, and probably to McGonnagal too. He could manage, provided that they didn't bring Remus or James with them – not that either would want to come, but Sirius didn't think his (former) friends would have the guts to refuse if Dumbledore asked… Sirius wouldn't either. With Dumbledore's legilimency Sirius could deal easily enough (_thank you so very much, dear father_), and he didn't care if the Headmaster knew he was lying or countering his mind-reading magic. The dark-haired youth knew the old wizard wouldn't call him on it – Dumbledore had his personal brand of strangeness – and McGonnagal wouldn't employ her own legilimens capabilities, because she'd rely on Dumbledore's. As long as the professor kept his mouth shut, she'd have no reason to think Sirius was lying or hiding parts of the truth – whichever he felt like doing come morning.

The only three people in the whole castle who would immediately spot the lie were Remus, James, and Peter. But the latter certainly wasn't brave enough, he wouldn't dare to tell their teacher if Sirius was being untruthful or withholding something from them – hence his presence not worrying the (former) Marauder that much. James and Remus, on the other side, were nothing _but_ brave, and in the light of the recent events, they would have no qualms in calling bull the moment they caught the smell of a lie.

For the first time in five years, Sirius didn't really feel like seeing them.

* * *

As always, constructive criticism is much appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

I'm baaaack!

It's a little sooner than I planned it to be... I thought about updating once a week, and I'll try to hold on to that, but since next week will be bonkers for me I'm not sure I'll actually be able to post anything at all. So I decided to update now and cross my fingers. Also, I lied: this thing's got a life of its own... I just finished the outline of the third chapter and I'm nowhere near the conclusion. Whether it's a good or a bad thing, I'll let guys decide :3

(On another note, HOLY HIPPOGRIFFS I've got 5 reviews! It's, like, five more than I expected! The individual responses are at the end of the chapter, but here I would like to say thank you to everybody 3)

**Warnings:** I messed up, guys: it's the fifth year, not the sixth! I siriusly (pun intended) have no idea what possessed me to think otherwise. Everybody kiss Clarke, because without them I would have noticed who knows when, and I would have probably had a seizure or something. I fixed it now :) besides that, no warning necessary, really. A stew gets tortured, but that's about it. We finally get to meet James, Remus, and Peter.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters, the places and the stew, I just love them!

* * *

"I really don't remember. I'm sorry, Professors".

In the end, Sirius had gone for the easy version – no memory, no details to make up, less chances to get confused and be found out. They had been merciful enough to leave James and Remus out of this, and the former Marauder fully intended to take advantage of it.

He did his best… How had James called them?... Ah, _puppy eyes_ at both Dumbledore (why, what was life without a little risk?) and McGonnagal. But not too much. Sirius rarely, if ever, did completely innocent. It would be way too suspicious to start now.

"So you were feeling sick, you were coming down to see Madam Pomfrey, and the last thing you remember is getting hit by a curse" recapped McGonnagal, her acute eyes scanning him.

Sirius nodded.

"I know I shouldn't have been out but… But I was _really_ feeling sick" he pleaded – throwing a little panic in there, just for color: "With puking and everything! I got out of the tower and tried to come here, but a stair shifted and I found myself where I shouldn't have been… Come on, Professor McGonnagal…!".

She frowned at him, something shifting in her eyes, too fast for him to read it – and for a moment Sirius thought he had overdone it.

"_That_ is the last of our problems, Sirius" she reassured him, gentleness transpiring through her usually stern demeanor: "Students _are_ allowed out of bed for medical emergencies, and stairs _do_ like to change. You won't land yourself detention, this time".

Sirius sighed, mentally uncrossing his fingers. Despite what McGonnagal thought, detention and possibly expulsion were _his_ first problem, after all. Now that he had lost his brothers (_all_ of them), he didn't have anything else _but_ Hogwarts.

"Are you _sure_ you don't remember anything else, Sirius?" pressed Dumbledore, calmly.

Sirius' eyes shifted in his, feeling that azure stare regarding him pensively, not unkind but _very_ penetrating.

_No you don't!_

Sirius almost mentally snarled those words – an habit he had acquired since he was old enough to rebel to Orion's constant invasion of the privacy of his mind. But this wasn't Orion, and Dumbledore hadn't done anything to earn a lashing out besides worrying for him – as unneeded as it was, Sirius had no problem to admit it was rather touching. Instead, catching himself just in time, he quickly conjured in his mind the scenario he had spent until the wee hours of the morning to perfect. Feeling sick, going down the stairs, the stairs changing, frustration and nervousness because he had gotten himself on the wrong floor, then pain and then darkness.

"No… I'm _really_ sorry" he repeated, looking at the Headmaster right in the eye.

Merlin's beard, he wasn't buying it. He was _so_ not buying it – Sirius didn't need to know how to read minds to know that. The boy could clearly feel the legilimency retreat from his mind, but it didn't take a genius to see that Dumbledore had perfectly realized he was lying and fighting to keep the truth from him. Sirius didn't panic, not yet – he knew it took a lot more than his half-assed plan to fool Dumbledore. What he _could_ do was hope that the Headmaster chose to respect his silence even if he didn't understand why Sirius was keeping quiet in the first place.

"I… Well, one of the things I _don't_ remember… It makes me think, you know" he continued, before the older man could speak and possibly call him on his bullshit – Sirius would try to give some sort of lead, something that would _maybe_ get both Nott and Snivellus in a sea of trouble, keeping the attention from Regulus at the same time: "I don't remember anyone speaking".

This gave both Professors a pause.

"So it's someone who can use non-verbal spells… And quite proficiently at that" deduced McGonnagal.

_Atta girl._

"I think so" nodded Sirius – and he didn't even have to lie about that one! He knew _for sure_ that Snivellus knew how to do non-verbal, and Nott… Well, Sirius had surely been beaten by him too, but he hadn't heard a single word besides his sneers. No spells, hexes or curses. So he was probably right anyway.

"Very well then" sighed Dumbledore: "We will do our best to catch the culprit. In the meantime, rest and stay here until you have properly recovered, yes?".

"Of course, Professor" nodded quickly Sirius. The fact that he'd be gone the moment the Headmaster and McGonnagal rounded the corner didn't count as a lie. He already was as right as rain, and whatever bruise or wound he had left (not many, bless Poppy and her magical hands) he would heal with no more than a distracted flip of his wand like he had done so many times before. He didn't need to stay in the infirmary and give Snivellus another reason to gloat.

He made a show of nestling in the plump pillows as if to say he was too comfy to bother to go anywhere else, meeting head on the satisfied gaze of McGonnagal and the amused one of Dumbledore before they turned their backs on him and walked out of the infirmary.

Sirius silently followed their retreat until they vanished from sight. When they finally were out of the way, he sighed again. Well then, time to plan how to tell his favorite nurse he wasn't staying without getting knocked out as soon as he said _hey, Poppy_.

He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't hear Dumbledore say, with a sort of sad admiration in his voice: "Such a proficient Occulmens at his age…!", nor he noticed McGonnagal's deep sigh when she thought about how he hadn't called her "Minnie" as usual.

And, most definitely, he didn't see the small, plump rat that observed him for a minute longer with a sort of worry and longing in his eyes, before silently scurrying away.

* * *

"He _lied_ to Dumbledore?!".

James had to admit – he was impressed with Sirius' guts. _He_ wouldn't dare, despite Dumbledore being a surprisingly laidback bloke.

Then he remembered he was _angry_ at Sirius.

His hazel eyes soared through the Hall – despite lunchtime being almost over, there were still a lot of people loitering around, especially at the Slytherin table. A pair of gray eyes caught his, only for a moment, before they studiously avoided his gaze.

James frowned.

"I heard Dumbledore say to McGonnagal that Sirius is a proficient Occulmens" added Peter, nodding anxiously: "So he knows Sirius didn't tell the truth, doesn't he?".

"I've yet to meet the person who can lie to Dumbledore and actually fool him" snorted Remus, who was sitting beside James and across from Peter, and was reducing his stewed beef to an unappetizing mush with his fork instead of eating it: "Of course he knows Sirius lied".

James twisted his mouth, his leg bouncing up and down nervously while he stared at the younger Black without really seeing him.

He _was_ angry with Sirius. He really was.

What their best friend, their _brother_, had done was horrifying. He had used Remus as a means to try to do something horrible – as if the other boy had been nothing but a tool, disregarding the psychological and emotional devastation he'd cause had his plan succeeded. Remus had spent a _week_ having nightmares about Dumbledore telling him he had killed Snivellus – and, more often than not, James as well.

James couldn't ignore that, as he couldn't ignore his own feelings. He had never thought Sirius capable of such a… _Death Eater_ behavior. He wasn't the Padfoot he knew: sarcastic, haughty, witty, loyal to a fault and… So, _so_ sad. A sadness James had waged a war against on that day on the Hogwarts Express five years before, one he had never quite won.

It didn't matter which mask Sirius put on in front of him, James would always be able to see through it, to get to the core of who Sirius was… Or so he had thought until two weeks ago. This unknown Sirius was like poison: violent, angry, uncaring and hateful. James didn't know what happened, what had caused Pads to ignore the one thing he had always valued above everything else – the bond between the Marauders. No beating at home, no snide remark at school, _nothing_ had ever broken his loyalty and love. And Sirius could tell him he had been bored, that he had thought it would be fun, but deep down James couldn't bring himself to buy it. He _refused_ to accept it.

"How was he doing?".

The question had escaped his lips before he realized. He shot an apologetic look at Remus, but the other boy was looking at Peter intensely, waiting for an answer.

"He seemed pretty good, all in all" answered their friend timidly: "Really bruised, but Poppy has worked her magic like usual".

Remus nodded to himself – he was actually glad to hear that, as the moments of last night would already feature in his worst nightmares for a long time without the need of more bad news.

True, like James, and perhaps _more_ than James, he was mad at their other dark-haired brother. He felt dirtied by the way Sirius had used him to try to get his way – _to try to kill_ _Severus_. It didn't matter how many times he asked himself, he couldn't even begin to fathom _why_ their Padfoot had done something so horrible. The Sirius he (they) knew would have never used somebody else to carry out a personal vendetta, and he would have never stained the hands of a friend – a _brother_ – like that, no matter the enemy, no matter the grudge.

_Unlike_ James, though, Remus wasn't actually surprised by the fact that Sirius was capable behaving cruelly towards those he considered enemies. As much as they all liked to forget it, he was a Black, after all. It was impossible that the years he had spent without the positive influence of the Marauders hadn't left a mark on him, and the Blacks _were_ infamous for their extreme mood swings, their violence when angered and the ruthlessness with which they hunted their enemies down – all things that _did_ fit with what had happened two weeks prior.

But Sirius was one of the most loyal people Remus had ever known, even when in a tight spot he always protected his friends, going at any length to ensure their happiness and their safety, even when it meant disregarding his own. Not to mention the (to put it mildly) strong disgust he held for his family, one that had always steered him away from the usual Black demeanor. _Something had changed, but what?_

A movement at the corner of his eye caught his attention.

Severus had just walked up to Regulus and was telling him something in serious and hushed tones. The younger boy was frowning, listening intently.

"Well… That is certainly new" Remus drawled drily, lowering his gaze and squashing the last piece of stew still valiantly standing: "I've never seen Severus look at Regulus twice".

"Suddenly there's another reason why I'm glad Sirius is not here" agreed James, who was watching the pair darkly: "He wouldn't be too happy, would he?".

"Oh, he knows" piped up Peter, serving himself some more peas. He glanced up from his plate when his claim was met with silence, only to find the other two Marauders staring at him, perplexed.

"Sirius knows about _that_" he explained, jerking his head towards Snape and Regulus: "It's been going on since the beginning of the year, more and more often. That's why he was in such a foul mood lately".

James and Remus looked at each other.

Peter wasn't wrong. Sirius _had_ been different lately, but any attempt to talk about it had earned them that bark-like laugh and a skillful change of topics, so they had just assumed it was a temporary thing, nothing they should actually worry about. It had happened before, especially if his family was involved – he would seethe for a while, then bounce back to his usual self.

_Boy, had they been wrong._

"And you didn't tell us because…?" pressed Remus, arching an eyebrow.

"He told me not to" explained Peter, round eyes innocent and a little scared: "He noticed I had noticed and he told me not to say a word about it, especially to you two".

"You can't blame Wormy, Moony" pointed out James, fairly: "I bet Sirius was a little more forceful than that, wasn't he?".

The slightly wobbly smile Peter gave them was a clear enough answer.

"So… It has been going on since September" mused Remus, finally giving up torturing his stew: "It's still strange, though, isn't it? It's been four years since Regulus has come to Hogwarts, and I don't recall Severus ever showing much interest in him".

"Doesn't mean he wasn't watching him" countered James: "But he'd have to get past Sirius. For all Pads likes to berate his – quoting – _stupid little brother_, we've seen what happens when someone messes with him… It's _not_ pretty. Had Snivellus approached him openly, Sirius would have ripped him a new one faster than he can say _Expelliarmus_".

Remus nodded again, stroking his chin.

"But now he thinks Sirius is not a problem anymore, does he?" he pointed out: "Otherwise he wouldn't be so open about it. Something has changed, and Regulus must be at the center of…".

His voice faded, and James and Peter followed his now alarmed gaze.

"Do I need a new pair of glasses, or is Slug _angry_?".

James' remark was pretty on spot, to be honest. Never, in five years of taking Potion lessons from the plump Slytherin Head House, they had seen him with an expression like that – not even when _someone_ had stolen _some ingredients_ from his personal pantry at the very beginning of the year. His usually pale and content face was drawn, and a splotchy, worry-inducing kind of red had spread on his cheeks. His lips were pressed together thinly, and his eyes seemed on fire as he made a beeline for two of his favorite students who, James couldn't help but notice, looked more resigned than surprised.

The Marauders silently watched as the two of them were approached by the furious man. Slughorn didn't look at Regulus twice, though, addressing Snape with few, clipped sentences. The boy protested something, but Slughorn didn't seem to be willing to listen, as he interrupted Snape forcefully. The dark-haired fifth year simply nodded and got up, following the Professor as he marched out of the Hall – not before looking back at Regulus, who seemed extremely guilty.

"What just happened?" asked Peter, perplexed, his meal laying forgotten.

"It seems" Remus answered quietly, his eyes transfixed on the younger Black: "That Dumbledore has a good inkling about who has cursed Sirius last night. Even though I don't think he has actually apprehended all the culprits".

He could feel Peter looking at him questioningly, just as he could perceive the sudden stillness of James, something most uncommon coming from him.

_Good._

That probably meant he was following his same train of thoughts.

"Don't you think it's strange?" he asked in a hollow voice as he studied Regulus carefully.

"What?" prodded Peter, confused by the sudden change in the atmosphere.

"That Sirius betrayed us, and suddenly Snivellus and Regulus are best buddies and not afraid to show it".

It was James who answered, no particular color in his tone.

In that very moment, Remus knew that his brilliant mind was working one hundred miles per second, trying to connect all the facts – Sirius' betrayal, the closeness between Regulus and Snape, Sirius' beating and his sudden reticence.

"Think, Peter" Remus said slowly, still watching the pair: "Sirius gets tortured by someone he doesn't even fight or defend himself against – someone for whom he would take the risk and blatantly lie to Dumbledore before betraying them. For who, other than us, would have he done something so _Sirius_?".

Peter's brow creased, then it distended again as alarm rose in his blue eyes, clearly making the connection between the question and the direction his friends were looking in.

"No!" he exhaled, horrified: "Regulus?!".

James just nodded, something hard at the corners of his mouth, a metallic glint of fury in his hazel eyes that made him look far more _cold_ and _dangerous_ than anyone at Hogwarts had ever believed him to be – his normally sunny disposition made him the second most approachable Marauder, after all. Remus had the first place just because he was less prank-prone then him… Or so everybody seemed to believe, anyway. The aura of haughty and sometimes downright icy self-confidence Sirius usually exuded had exasperated that idea and, since they were never seen apart for long periods of time, neither the other students nor the teachers (besides McGonnagal and Dumbledore, of course) had ever actually bothered to look past the initial impression.

"He wasn't alone" he growled, his fist clenching on the table, the knuckles going white: "Sirius _has_ given Dumbledore and Minnie a hint, hasn't he? He talked about non-verbal curses, something I'm willing to bet my Cloak on that Regulus isn't capable of doing yet – Slug hasn't looked at him twice, after all. But we know a person who can _for sure_ curse someone without speaking, a person that now is where just last year he had no balls to be".

"Snape" Peter whispered, his wide eyes on his bespectacled friend, awed and floored by the sheer ire written in every inch of his face: "They cursed him together?".

"You know, I don't think Regulus has what it takes to actually raise his wand against Sirius" snorted James humorlessly, shaking his head: "I think it was either Snivellus alone doing the cursing, or him and someone else. Regulus was probably just watching".

"You think he was getting retribution for… For the Incident?" asked Peter, sounding nauseated.

"Of course" James heard Remus answering in a suspiciously neutral tone – the one he used when he was close to tearing somebody's head off.

Part of him felt relieved at that. James _did_ feel guilty about getting angry on Sirius behalf, especially in front of Remus. Remus, who looked so distant and pained sometimes, Remus, who had cried for so long and kept asking _why_ over and over again as James could only answer _I don't know_, Remus, who deserved the world and not its ruins.

"Tell me you have the Cloak with you, Prongs".

Now, _those words_ took him by surprise. Did they mean what James think they meant? Did Moony really want to investigate this? To give Sirius the benefit of the doubt, against all reasonable odds?

For a second, or maybe for an eternity, hazel eyes met green ones, a spark of a conversation between them, a question and an answer, understanding and steely resolve.

_We will never heal if we don't know the truth_.

"Who do you think I am, Moony?" finally protested James, already on his feet and ready to go. He clenched his fists, willing his hands to stop trembling, trying his best to squash the feeling in his heart that told him that maybe, just maybe, things weren't as simple as they thought.

"Sorry" apologized Remus with a taut smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. And yet they weren't as hollow and haunted anymore, there was a light within, and for the first time in fifteen days, James _dared_ to hope.

He and the other two Marauders all but ran out of the Hall, Peter looking back not at the meal he was never going to finish, but at the Slytherin table. His eyes met silver ones, so similar and yet so different from those of Sirius. It was only a moment – then Regulus clenched his jaw and looked away, and not a second later Peter turned his back on him resolutely, joining James and Remus in their hasty exit from the Great Hall.

They huddled in an empty room not far from there, and Remus carefully drew out their Map from his pocket, laying it out before them.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good" he muttered, tapping the parchment gently.

The yet-to-be-completed Map greeted him in its usual fashion (and didn't _that_ bring a small smile to his face), before the dark ink it was imbued with spread out like a cobweb, James' neat drawings and Sirius' skillfully placed charms (the small smile was wiped away in an instant, _but still there was hope_) bringing the better part castle and its inhabitants before their searching eyes.

"We're lucky" sighed James, pointing to a room: "They're in Slug's office. Whoa…! There are Dumbledore _and_ Minnie… Oooh, this keeps getting better!".

"Nott? Why is Nott with them?" asked Peter anxiously.

"I wish I could tell you that it's because he is a Slytherin Head Boy" answered Remus darkly: "But somehow I don't think this is the case. Pull out the Cloak, Prongs, we're going. Mischief managed!".

If he tapped the paper with more force than strictly necessary, neither Peter nor James commented on it.

* * *

And there it is! I hope I didn't cut it too short... But now things are set in motion :)  
I'm a little nervous about Peter's characterization because he's extremely difficult to write and remain IC. One has to consider what he did in 1981 and why, but we also can't forget that he _was_ a Marauder. From what I read in PoA, James, Remus, and Sirius loved him just as much as they loved each other (Sirius states clearly they would have died for him, had Peter been in James' situation). So no, I don't consider him to be the stupid, annoying tag-along some picture him to be, but he's very different from the other three. Tell me what you think about it, if you have the time, it would be super helpful!

Now, for the reviews:

**britt1010220:** thank you! Let's say that "why?" was the question that prompted this whole story. I don't believe in the "he was bored, he thought it would be funny" explanation - for someone who's ready to die (and kill) for his friends, I always found it too shallow. I hope my theory won't disappoint you!

**Wolfeu:** how nice to hear from you again! ahahah, yeah, reading like that is a super uncomfortable experience! I'm glad you enjoyed!

**LittleRedWritingHood70:** awww thank you, you're lovely!

**Guest:** thank you very much, I hope this won't disappoint you!

**Clarke:** OMG! You are _so_ right! It's _not_ a minor thing, believe me, it's actually my worst peeve ever when it comes to fanfiction! Messing up timings, OOCness and stupid OCs/Mary Sues are the things I avoid like the plague! I don't know how I messed up that bad - I've tried to replace the chapter but to no avail :( I'll possibly try again later on... Thank you for pointing it out, I've corrected it in both this and the next chapter :) I hope you'll like this one! Cheers :)


	3. Chapter 3

Hey, I'm back!

I had promised myself I would update last Tuesday, but I'm terrible with deadlines and this thing kept getting longer and longer without my consent. I kinda lost steam at a certain point, but finally my inspiration came back and I managed to edit and twink with it a bit until I found it at least mildly satisfying. As always, the answers to the reviews are at the end of the chapter... thing... Eh... Onwards!

**Warning:** none worth giving I think. Possibly bad grammar? Idk. Oh, the next will be the last chapter. I think.

**Disclaimer:** I said "Accio Harry Potter rights!" a couple of times, but all I got was weird looks from my family. So, I still don't own a thing.

* * *

Peter adjusted himself better on James' shoulder, his sleek tail swishing slightly on his friend's shirt as his rosy little paws clenched slightly to hold on better. During last year the Marauders had found they were starting to get a little too big to fit under the Cloak comfortably and move quickly, especially in full daylight. It was a couple of months ago, after fourth time Sirius had threatened to hex the next person who stepped on his toes, that Remus had suggested Peter transform into his smaller form.

He gave a small, almost inaudible sigh.

_Sirius._

"We're almost there" muttered Prongs reassuringly, mistaking his wistfulness for impatience.

Oh, it wasn't like Peter didn't want to be where they were going. He _wanted_ to hear everything going on in Slughorn's office, but in that very moment, his mind was somewhere else – on the absent Marauder, to be precise.

When Sirius had come to them and confessed to James what he had done, Peter had felt as if he'd been hit by a particularly disgruntled Whomping Willow.

He'd never forget the incredulity, the horror and the betrayal on James' face, nor the way he jumped out of the Gryffindor tower window while yelling: "Accio broom!". A small shudder crept up Peter's spine. Hadn't James been so quick, Snape would have been dead. Hadn't James been so clever, he would have been dead too – or worse. He could have been _bitten_.

The days after the disaster had been the darkest and bleakest of Peter's life. Remus barely ate and slept – he kept having nightmares from which he woke up screaming and crying, and it took everything James and Peter had to calm him down. James had been furious and hurt, and Sirius had vanished.

Peter didn't know what to think of the whole mess.

Sure, Sirius sometimes _was_ scary, almost like a Dark Wizard, and he could be mean and treat with disdain everyone and everything. When he was in a bad mood, Peter let James and Remus talk him out of it – he was too frightened to try. When Sirius was angry he lashed out, he hurt people and took pleasure in it. Only James seemed perfectly safe, and Remus was too, for the most part. The worst that had ever happened between the two of them had been a half-hearted exchange of insults, that had degenerated pretty quickly in the most childish name-calling Peter had ever witnessed. It didn't help that not a minute in the two boys had started giggling and making dog and wolf puns so stupid even James had rolled his eyes. Peter, on his side… Oh, he couldn't deal with it, he couldn't deal with it at all. He didn't have any guarantee that Sirius would be that lenient with him, _he simply couldn't risk it and let Sirius maul him to pieces_.

Despite this, he just couldn't forget everything else, all that Sirius was whenever his shadows gave him a rest. He couldn't forget about how Sirius never failed to stand up for him when he was being bullied. How he'd let Peter stay on his back without a fuss as they roamed the Hogwarts' grounds, even if it meant moving more carefully for fear of dislodging him. How, despite his callousness, he would explain a difficult charm over and over again until he was sure Peter understood.

He couldn't reconcile _all this_ with the Sirius of two weeks prior – it just didn't make _sense_. He wanted to tell James and Remus, but his courage still failed him. The other two Marauders were too bitter, too angry, and what if they didn't listen to him? What if they didn't let him explain? What if they threw him out for trying to defend Sirius? Peter wouldn't – _couldn't_ – risk it. He didn't know what he would do if he were left alone. He wasn't Sirius, he wasn't as strong and skilled and resourceful as him.

An altered voice interrupted his musings.

"… And how you thought you could fool the _Prior Incantatem_ it's beyond me!".

They hurried along, positioning themselves a couple of feet from Slughorn's office, the door of which was ajar enough to let the words of the people inside carrying to them with ease.

Slughorn's voice was ice-cold and unforgiving, fury clear in every single word he uttered. The two boys and the rat under the Cloak exchanged a glance – never once they had heard him _like that_. The day just kept getting stranger and stranger… Next thing they knew, Peeves would stop trying to whack people in the head with Paracelsus' bust and Dumbledore would reveal himself to be the Dark Lord or something.

"I am _more_ than disappointed, especially in _you_, Severus" the Potion Master said coolly: "I had thought you much better than this. You behaved like a… A savage, you _tortured someone_, causing him extensive injuries and risking his life!".

"And for what, if you both would be so kind to share with us?!" exploded another voice – Minnie. She was the fire to Slughorn's ice, every syllable an explosion of molten ire: "And don't try to tell us it was in self-defense, because no magic ever came from Mr. Black, none at all!".

"He provoked us!" exclaimed Nott, his voice strangely shrill.

"Provoked you?!" roared Minnie, and the Marauders instinctively took half a step back: "_Provoked you?!_".

"Whoa…!" whispered James, his eyes shining: "Minnie, I love you…!".

"We should definitely buy her some Ice Mice next time we stop at Honeydukes" agreed Remus fervently.

"And what, pray tell, has he said to you to warrant the _torture_ you have inflicted upon him?! He did not defend himself and yet you went _on and on and on_ until he bled, until you _broke his bones!_".

Minnie was hissing like hacked off cat – and the silence that followed that question seemed to anger her even _more_.

"Unqualifiable behavior!" she all but shrieked: "You attacked him _unprovoked_, Mr. Nott, you used on Black a number of curses _you shouldn't even know about_ and left him to _bleed out on the floor_!".

"Dumbledore's letting her overheat" muttered Remus, shaking his head: "If he doesn't stop her, she could go on for hours".

Those words had just left his lips when the Headmaster's calm but steely voice carried to them, interrupting Minnie's rant gently but firmly.

"This goes much further than a simple disagreement, boys" they heard him say gravely: "Mr. Black's injuries were severe, and the cruelness with which you acted is unprecedented".

"Yes, Professor" whispered Nott, the slight quiver in his voice lighting up a malicious smile on James' lips.

"Such a hideous act will not be forgotten, nor easily forgiven" the elderly wizard carried on: "Fifty points _each_ will be taken from your House, and you will serve a month of detention however your Head House will see fit".

"Yes, Professor" answered both the Slytherin students.

"Horace, I need to borrow your office for a minute" Dumbledore voice hadn't mellowed in the least, but he sounded almost apologetic to the Potion Master: "I would like to talk to Mr. Snape alone".

"Of course, Headmaster. Take all the time you need" agreed Slughorn readily: "Mr. Snape, after Professor Dumbledore is done with you, you will join me and Mr. Nott in the Staff Room to decide your punishments. No detours, no delays".

"Yes, sir" muttered Snape.

The Marauders held perfectly still as the door opened, letting out Minnie, Slughorn, and – much to their satisfaction – a very constipated-looking Nott. The door was left open, and the three boys exchanged a glance before repositioning themselves so that they could see inside.

Snape was sitting in a chair, looking more greasy and hunched than usual. His face was pale, but there was a strange challenge in his dark eyes as he regarded the Headmaster in front of him. Dumbledore, for his part, was standing, and he seemed even taller than usual as he regarded Snape intensely. The three under the Cloak couldn't suppress a shiver in noticing how the usual spark in those brilliant blue eyes seemed absent as of now – Dumbledore was _pissed_.

"I thought I had been clear enough that night, Severus" said quietly the Headmaster: "_No one_ was to know what happened. Not so much for Sirius Black's sake, but for that of Remus Lupin. He was an innocent party, one who has suffered even more than you did".

The Marauders tensed.

"I didn't tell Nott about _that_" replied Snape heatedly, and James felt Remus relax: "I didn't tell anyone!".

"But you wanted retribution" deduced Dumbledore, his voice still perfectly plain: "So you shared enough with Mr. Nott to have him back you up for your revenge".

Snape didn't give an outright answer, but the way he snorted made it clear for the other three boys that the Professor had been spot on.

"Was the involvement of Regulus Black part of your plan since the beginning, or did he volunteer to witness you torture his brother?".

James gave a small start, his brusque movement almost dislodging Peter, who barely managed to suffocate an indignant squeak. Snape, on his part, looked even tenser.

"Oh, do not think of me a fool, Severus" snorted the Headmaster: "Sirius wouldn't have kept quiet about his assailants if it didn't put at risk someone he loves. I highly doubt the Marauders would have had anything to do with what transpired last night, and forgive me if I don't believe Sirius to be willing to cover for something that warrants trouble for _you_ of all people".

Snape, who had lowered his stare on the floor, contemplated the stones for a couple of seconds before lifting his head again.

"He volunteered as soon as he heard me and Nott speaking" he finally answered, his blank tone grating on James' nerves: "He wanted to chip in, actually, but I guess that in the end he reckoned Nott and I had done enough. Regulus hates _him_, you know".

"I suspected as much" replied Dumbledore, blandly: "Even if it's not _hate_ he feels. Not really, anyway. But he… Nay, _you all_… Are too young to understand it".

Again, Snape didn't reply, settling for staring plainly at the Headmaster, who returned his stare.

"Do not think, not even for a moment, that I forgot what Sirius has done" the elderly wizard said: "He is being properly punished for that, and I _am_ watching him".

"Properly punished?!" exploded Snape suddenly: "I don't see him cleaning the floor with a toothbrush! And you know he _wasn't_ going to the infirmary yesterday night! You told him you'd expel him if he broke the rules, you know he is, and yet…!".

"Punishment" Dumbledore interrupted him, his voice on a slightly higher tone: "Comes in many forms. Do I know that he hasn't been in the Gryffindor dormitories for two weeks now? I do. Do I know he was on the roof of the Astronomy Tower last night? _I do_".

"But then…!" began Snape, confused and exasperated.

"I also know" Dumbledore cut him off again firmly: "That James, Remus and Peter are keeping him at arm's length. It has been two weeks since they last have spoken to him, ate with him, and laughed with him. _I_ may not be doing the punishing, but Sirius _is_ being punished by the only ones who have the right to".

Snape remained quiet, gaping at the Headmaster – the fight seemed to be leaving him pretty quickly. The Marauders, on their part, exchanged glances again. They hadn't realized Dumbledore had been checking on them that closely, even if probably they should have expected it.

"What I find most curious" pressed on Dumbledore – and by the tone of his voice he seemed to have reached the part that mattered to him the most: "Is how Sirius came to betray his friends' trust".

"W-what?" stammered Snape, apparently caught off guard.

Under the Cloak, the three boys perked, for once sharing the sentiment. Of all things Dumbledore wanted to talk about with Snape, this had been the furthest from their minds.

"Sirius Black is probably one of the most loyal and brilliant people I have ever met" explained Dumbledore, calmly: "He has his faults, of course, but being a traitor or shallow enough to risk his friends' emotional and physical wellbeing because he is _bored_ is not one of them. It seems impossible to me that he didn't think about what would happen if his plan succeeded. Nevermind that he couldn't have known that James would try and save you".

At those words, Snape sneered, but a pointed look from Dumbledore prevented the sarcastic reply he quite obviously wanted to voice.

"Had Sirius been thinking, he would surely have realized the emotional and psychological damage he would have inflicted upon Remus once he reverted back to his human form" reprised the Headmaster: "And while he has no qualms in hurting the people he hates, he would have never accepted, _for any reason_, to harm someone he loves so dearly".

Silence met this claim, and Remus did his best to not wince when James' strong fingers tightened their grip on his forearm.

"This has led me to suppose" the Headmaster continued: "That he was, indeed, _not thinking at all_".

The temperature dropped a few degrees at that statement. Snape, Remus realized with some sort of odd detachment, seemed to be getting increasingly nervous.

"Blacks are infamous for their explosive tempers after all" Dumbledore mused: "When they get angry, violence always follows. All they think about is disposing of the enemy, often in the most horrible and painful way. It's a knee-jerk reaction – a trait Sirius _has_ inherited, unfortunately. A trait that only James Potter is able to keep in check".

Under the Cloak James bit his tongue, feeling as unsettled as Snape looked, but he decided to ignore the two stares he could feel on him – he didn't want to think about it _now_.

"What I think" concluded Dumbledore, thankfully regaining the attention of both Moony and Wormtail: "Is that _something_ has triggered that kind of reaction in Sirius that night, and just when James wasn't there to do damage control. For a few, crucial minutes, Sirius didn't stop to consider the damage he would cause because he was so angry all he could think about was ending the source of said anger. And I find most peculiar that, of all the people he had met that night, he came after _you_ specifically, even if you told me you were not in his immediate vicinity at the time".

The three boys under the Cloak were frozen to statues, and shooting a look at his friends Peter was happy to see that for once he wasn't the only one who was taken by surprise.

"I… I don't know what you're talking about" muttered Snape, not meeting his eyes.

"Severus" reproached him Dumbledore: "Sirius life is not one I envy – he fights his own parents on a daily basis just to affirm his right to exist as his own person. Here at Hogwarts, he has found a cause to rebel… Well, three causes, actually. His friends, the people he has demonstrated again and again to love more than anything, the ones he stood by through thick and thin. And suddenly he risks everything, he risks his most precious treasure, all that keeps him human and sane and himself… Just because he thought it would be funny to kill you?".

The question hung in the air, disbelief plain on the Headmaster's face.

"I will say this once more" Dumbledore said gravely: "I do not condone or endorse _in any way_ what Sirius has tried to do to you, nor what he has almost done to Remus, James, and Peter. It _is_ horrible, and any punishment those three will dish out is nothing but deserved. He betrayed the people who love him the most and _no reason _is good enough for that to happen, no grudge is worth neither your life nor Remus' wellbeing in _any_ capacity. But I reckon there is more to this story than what you shared, and more than he, for reasons I cannot fathom, is willing to tell".

Snape looked about to protest, but Dumbledore held up a hand.

"I will not ask you what happened between the two of you that night" he said, not unkindly: "That is, after all, for you to know and the Marauders to find out".

Snape jumped in his seat, looking around as if he expected to find James, Remus, and Peter there with them, listening to their conversation. His dark eyes actually passed them twice when they landed on the door, but the Cloak did its job, and they moved on none the wiser. The elderly wizard laughed lightly, regaining the attention of both the visible and invisible teenagers, and suddenly the air warmed up, the tense feeling leaving them all.

"Oh, yes" Dumbledore chuckled: "James can't stay away from Sirius, and Remus is too sensible not to look into it. Peter, on his side, is simply too kind to leave it at that. Once James and Remus calm down, they will probably start realizing how things are not adding up".

The three boys under the Cloak studied each other for a moment, and it wasn't difficult for any of them to see how right the Headmaster was. Dumbledore was one scary dude, alright.

"You may go, Severus. Professor Slughorn is expecting you" sighed the Headmaster.

Snape rose to his feet and gave Dumbledore a jerky nod before exiting Slug's office, passing less than a foot from where James, Remus, and Peter stood.

For their part, the Marauders decided they had heard enough – they had a lot to talk about, and it was plain on their faces the desire to retire to the safety of their dorm to discuss what they had transpired in the last few minutes.

They silently slipped away, too preoccupied to spare another glance at Dumbledore, whose twinkling eyes followed them until they rounded the corner and disappeared from sight.

* * *

"_Billiwig_" muttered Remus, before the Fat Lady had a chance to ask.

She shot him a rather offended look before letting them pass, but he really couldn't bring himself to care at the moment – they all had more important things to talk about.

"Wha… Where is everybody?" asked Peter, who preceded him of a few steps. He had reverted to his usual form a minute earlier, when they had ditched the protection of the Cloak a few corridors and stairs far from Slughorn's office.

Remus looked around, perplexed for a moment – the common room was perfectly empty, as if…

"It's three in the afternoon, lads" sighed James, gracelessly throwing himself on a floppy couch, a hand flying in his messy hair: "We are supposed to be in class now…. Double History with the Slytherins. I don't care, I'm not going, if see Snivellus I'll hex him, and Lily will murder me".

Peter eyed him for a moment, then he looked at Remus quizzically.

"Even I wouldn't be able to concentrate on riotous goblins, right now" the young werewolf admitted with a tired smile: "Binns won't even realize we're not there. And if he does…". He shrugged, letting himself fall on a pouf with a sigh.

Peter nodded thoughtfully, before following their example and sitting on the edge of an armchair, his eyes darting from an uncharacteristically still James, who was studying the ceiling of the room, to a morose-looking Remus, who seemed more interested in the carpet beneath his shoes.

A few long moments of quiet passed, interrupted only by the chirping of the birds coming from the open windows, the gentle caress of the April wind ruffling Peter's hair, the tepid rays of the Sun a comforting hand on his back… Despite everything, he was feeling so at peace… So…

"AAARGH!".

James' roar made him jump out of his skin and slip from the armchair, and he watched wide-eyed as the other boy grabbed a cushion and started hitting himself in the face repeatedly.

He turned helplessly towards Remus to see if he would do something to stop the sudden bout of hysterics that had seemingly taken over James but, much to his surprise, Moony was laughing.

Well, not _laughing_, per se. More like _giggling_, but it was a welcome sound, one the other two boys had been deprived of for the last two weeks.

It also stopped James from attempting at the integrity of his glasses and therefore at that of his face, as he stopped his antics in favor of looking at the other boy with the most curious expression – a mix of sour satisfaction and an apologetic grimace.

"Sorry, Moony" he muttered, lowering his gaze to the cushion he still held.

"For what?" chuckled Remus good-naturedly: "It's not a crime to get angry for what happened to Sirius. I would have never wanted any of _that_".

"I know!" assented quickly James: "It's just that… After all that happened, it just feels…".

"… Like letting him off too easy" finished Remus for him, his smile dimming slightly: "Still, what Dumbledore has said… It makes me think, you know".

The other two Marauders looked at him intensely, and Remus couldn't help but grin again. Really, after five years they were way too predictable, waiting for him to change his mind to open up to the possibility of giving Sirius another chance.

"I'm not saying I'm forgiving him" he added, more seriously: "Not yet, anyway. Not without him apologizing first. I know he tried to, but… Ugh, it's so complicated! Why in the bloody hell does he make _everything_ so complicated?!".

A small smile played on both James' and Peter's lips as Remus passed his hands in his hair, messing them up, frustration clear on his scarred face.

"I get the feeling" snorted James: "He apologized for something we couldn't possibly forgive, and now there's the chance he was apologizing for something that didn't happen in the first place. _Bored_, ha!".

"But why, though?" asked Peter, nervously: "I mean, Dumbledore made it sound like he was covering for Snape all along! Am I the only one who doesn't get it?!".

"Peter's right, you know" frowned Remus, his green eyes searching James face: "Sirius lied to Dumbledore and Minnie, he lied to _us_… For Snape?".

James brow creased, and he lowered his stare to the carpet, absorbing the golden patterns amidst the deep red. Covering for Snape… _Sirius covering for Snape_… _Sirius covering for_…

"Was it really for Snivellus, though?" he questioned quietly, not looking at his friends. He didn't need to. He could feel their now questioning stares on him: "Isn't it odd? Besides the obvious, I mean. Sirius is willing to keep quiet about what happened between them that night, but he doesn't really do anything to prevent Dumbledore from finding out who cursed him yesterday. Yeah, he said he didn't remember what happened, but he couldn't have possibly thought Dumbledore would buy it, right? And if he did, why say something about non-verbal curses? Isn't it… _Inconsistent_?".

"It is" mused Remus, giving up in trying to catch James' gaze once more, opting to look at the pale sky he could see extending out of the open window: "What do you think really happened?".

A beat of silence passed.

"Regulus happened".

The answer was so curt, so sure, that Remus started a bit, his eyes darting back to James.

"What do you…?" he began, but suddenly Prongs was reciprocating his stare and he could read _everything_ the other boy was thinking, for a moment their minds worked in harmony and he _understood_ all James was implying in one breathtaking moment.

"Oh. _Oh_. Sirius wasn't covering Snape… It was for _him_… All along?".

He asked. He asked even if he didn't need to, the answer was clearly written on James' face and it made so much _Sirius-sense_ that for a moment Remus felt daft in not working it out sooner…

And suddenly his excitement vanished, leaving a cold dread settling in its place. Because Remus wasn't just connecting the dots anymore, he was looking at the bigger picture, and if they were right it spelled _disaster_ and loneliness, and pain, and the war creeping in the halls of Hogwarts, slithering in their lives quietly but deadly, taking them on as it had already done with so many of their friends.

And Sirius was the first victim among the Marauders.

"You lost me, lads" intervened Peter somewhat dejectedly, bringing him back to reality.

"What James is trying to say" explained Remus, his fingers fiddling with a small hole in the fabric of his seat, staring at the tips of his shoes but without really seeing them: "Is that probably two weeks ago Sirius wasn't covering for Snape – that was something collateral. He was actually covering for Regulus".

Peter stared at him and James alternatively, uncomprehending.

"Think about it, Pete!" exclaimed James. His hazel eyes seemed to have lost their spark, contrasting harshly with his now much paler skin: "You said it yourself at lunch, didn't you? Snivellus has been buzzing around Regulus since the beginning of the year. This makes Sirius angry, but it's not like he does anything to stop it, does he?".

Peter nodded hastily, unsettled – he had never seen James like that before, all feverish nervousness and barely controlled anger.

"Then two weeks ago Sirius is coming here to go to the Shack with us" James ranted on, and the more he speaks the more he seems to get worked up: "But he meets Snivellus, who tells him something that sends him over the edge and he spills the beans about the Willow, but he doesn't tell anyone what _really_ set him off. He prefers us being mad at him, rather than tell the truth! And last night he gets attacked, but in the morning he _lies to Dumbledore_ about not knowing who did it! Only this time he spins the tale a little differently, doesn't he? He gave them a hint!".

"And then Snape confirms that Regulus has indeed been there all along. That he has witnessed everything that happened to his brother. It's even worse than that, actually, since according to Snape he was ready to take an active part in the beating" interjected Remus, thankfully far more calm: "And while their relationship has always been less than stellar, that is _very_ odd".

"It seems like Regulus is always involved, somehow" ventured Peter. He still couldn't see what was the point the other two were trying to make, that much was clear, but his guess seemed to appease them both, at least for the time being.

"So what if Regulus had been involved also in the Incident?" questioned James: "Not directly, but… What if whatever Snivellus has told Sirius was about his brother? Something that would hurt Sirius so deeply, that would make him so angry, he would react without thinking just as Dumbledore has said?".

"But what could it possibly be?" asked Peter, nervously. He didn't like where this was going – his thoughts were confused at best, but his instinct wasn't, it was telling him that something ugly was about to be voiced. And Peter always trusted his instincts.

"You know who… Or rather, _what_… Snape is, right?".

The question came from Remus, this time. He was looking at him gravely, and Peter knew why. It was just a rumor, a whisper in the corridors, one no-one dared to voice out loud.

"Death Eater" he answered, almost under his breath: "Well, an aspiring one, most likely".

"And now he's very close to Regulus, isn't he?".

Three seconds of silence passed.

The Sun on Peter's back seemed suddenly cold.

"Oh, Circe's pigs".

Remus snorted vaguely, humorlessly, at Peter's plain tone.

"Regulus must be thinking of joining Voldemort's ranks" murmured James, and suddenly he seemed to deflate: "And Snivellus knows, of course. It would all make sense… It would explain why he's been orbiting around Regulus that much, and why Regulus volunteered to go with him when he learned he wanted to get revenge on Sirius".

"It would also explain why Sirius didn't do anything to separate them" agreed Remus: "His brother must have told him off the second he tried, since he wants in on Voldemort's war, and you know how Sirius is, right? He doesn't have _crap_ when it comes to Regulus. So he let it go. But I bet he wasn't expecting Regulus to consider joining the dark side. So when Snivellus told him…".

"… He lost it" concluded for him Peter.

Remus nodded, but he was observing James intensely – and when Peter looked at the other Marauder, he understood why.

It was never a good thing when Prongs went _that_ calm. More than anything he was excitement, a flurry of activity, even when sitting some part of him was always moving – a bouncing leg, his hands, his teeth biting his lower lip or the inside of a cheek.

Now he seemed perfectly frozen, not even his eyes were moving from the tip of his crossed (and still) fingers, as if he were in deep thought.

"Prongs?".

As if hearing Peter calling him had awoken him from some sort of trance, not a second after James was standing, his robes askew for the force with which he stood up.

"I've changed my mind" he said, and his tone was a frosty promise of pain as he neared the portrait with a few quick strides: "I'm going to History, and I'll _hex Snivellus so much not even at St. Mungo they'll be able to GET HIS HEAD OUT OF HIS AR…_!".

"James!" yelled Remus, leaping after him immediately, is callous fingers grabbing the other boy by the arms to keep him from doing something stupid.

"Let me _go_, Moony!" growled James, trying to shake him off – which was an entirely possible feat. Remus might have been quite a few inches taller, but as a Chaser, James was all compact muscles and raw power. So he quickly spun James around, planting his hands more firmly on his shoulders.

"Is this what you want? To land yourself in detention?" he asked quickly, looking at James right in the eye: "To make Lily mad at you?".

_That_, fortunately, made James pause.

"It won't do good to anyone" continued Remus, gentle but pressing, his green eyes firmly planted in those of James: "Not to me, not to you, not to Sirius".

A moment of pause passed then, finally, James deflated.

"I… Yes, of course" he murmured, defeated: "You're right. Sorry, Moony".

Remus shook his head, relieved.

"You're fine, Prongs" he smiled: "And, for the record, I'm not saying we won't make Snivellus pay".

At these words both Peter, who had been standing the whole time but hadn't dared to come near, and James did a double take. Not only it was the first time in five years that they heard Remus call the Slytherin student with the unfortunate nickname James and Sirius had given him, but he was suggesting to get even on Sirius' behalf?! Remus was guilty of the Marauders' pranks and stunts just as the other three, of course, but…

"Right now, though, I think there is something else we should be doing".

James and Peter exchanged an uncertain glance.

"You… You wanna go and find Sirius?" asked the dark-haired Marauder, almost in a whisper.

"Listen, I know what happened. _We all_ know what happened" said Remus, letting James go in favor of pacing around the room: "What he did was on all levels of horrible and _wrong_. And _I_ am not going to let it go, I'm not forgiving him until he truly apologizes – _sorry_ doesn't quite cut it for me".

The other two nodded, following him with their eyes.

"But… But we're best friends" sighed Remus, stopping and looking at them, searching their faces for a signal – of what, he didn't know: "And I understand him, _I get him_, even if I don't want to".

A long silence passed.

"What are we going to do?" asked James – for once, he didn't want to be the leader. It wasn't his place to make the decision. It was Remus'.

"Let's find him" decided Moony, nearing the closest table and pulling out the Map for the second time that day: "Let's find him and tell him that we know, that we figured everything out. Let's see what he does. If he apologizes… _I solemnly swear that I am up to no good_".

James and Peter approached him, bending on the parchment and exploring the paper castle. The infirmary, the History of Magic Class, even the dormitory…

"He's… He's not here?!" Peter asked, incredulous.

"He's probably in some room we have yet to draw! Damn!" muttered James.

"He could be in the kitchens" mused Remus: "Let's begin from there. Maybe he went to grab something to eat, and even if he's not there anymore the Elves will tell us if they've seen him".

"_Mischief managed_" ordered James: "Well, not yet, but…".

They approached the back of the portrait.

Remus was about to push it open when James' calloused fingers closed on his shoulders. The sandy-haired boy turned, curiously, to meet deadly serious hazel eyes.

"Are you sure?" questioned James: "Are you _actually_ sure? We'd understand if you wanted to think a little longer about it".

At his side, Peter tensed.

Remus smiled.

"I told you, didn't I?" he replied serenely: "He's our best friend…".

James kept studying him.

"Best friends _listen_ to each other" finished Peter for him: "Let's begin with that".

Prongs stared at him in surprise for a moment, then grinned, satisfied.

"You're right. Let's go, lads!".

Remus pushed the portrait open, towards the unknown.

* * *

Sooo... This is it!

My """grand""" explanation. Of course, I am not trying to convince anybody I'm right, and y'all can come up with a thousand more better ideas. It's just something that hit me what? In early January, while I was baking brownies. It might be inaccurate or downright impossible, because chocolate distracts me as shiny things distract a Niffler. In fact, now that I think about it, I _might_ be a Niffler.

What I really wanted to make clear (and I hope I did) is that despite how much we all (?) love Sirius, the little star did something really terrible back then, something I do not condone or find even remotely funny. No, even if I extremely dislike Snape, I do not fancy the dude ripped to shreds, nor I want to imagine what Remus went through. So, I can imagine an "understandable" motive for Sirius to act like that and not be completely OOC, but understanding and forgiving are not the same thing (to me).

For the reviews:

Clarke: ahah no, I really had to thank you! Like I said, I would have had an aneurysm the second I noticed (which, me being me, it would have been by the end of the story). Thanks for reassuring me about Peter!

AshenMoon24: aw, thank you so much! I try to stay IC as much as I can, it's good to know that the effort is paying off! Thank you for reading and reviewing!


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